Direct reduction of iron carbonate with hydrogen
The doctoral thesis will discuss the direct reduction of iron carbonate to elemental iron with hydrogen to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in iron ore beneficiation. The iron ore is siderite mined at the Austrian Erzberg. The objective of this doctoral thesis is to develop a process concept and investigate the process parameters aimed at high iron carbonate conversion, high selectivity to elemental iron and low carbon dioxide emissions.
A follow up process step for the gaseous product is the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methane with a bifunctional catalyst. Tests with nickel doped magnesium oxide confirmed enhanced interaction of carbon dioxide with the catalyst due to the caustic properties of the backbone. Investigations of the reaction kinetics of CO2 methanation with bifunctional catalysts are covered in this thesis.
